Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Disclaimer: I was sent free product for the review. All opinions are my own.

I grew up in Germany close to the French border and I grew up LOVING cheese - but especially goat cheese. So I cannot tell you how excited I was when I got the chance to review both Redwood Hill Farm goat milk products and Lactose Free Green Valley Organics! Plus, both product lines are easy to digest - Green Valley Organics is lactose free and perfect for those who are lactose intolerant, and Redwood Hill Farm goat milk products are naturally lower in lactose than traditional cow dairy.

Getting to know both companies made my desire to work with them even bigger:

Redwood Hill Farm is an award-winning, Grade A goat dairy farm and creamery located in Sonoma County, California. Committed to making the best tasting and least processed artisan goat cheese, yogurt and kefir, the family-owned and operated company uses solar power to sustainably produce all its goat products. Redwood Hill Farm proudly became the nation’s first Certified Humane® goat dairy in 2005.*

Also located in Sonoma County, Green Valley Organics® is dedicated to producing the purest, best tasting milk for their lactose free yogurt, kefir and sour cream. And, while their craftsmanship and sustainable approach do make our products special, it really all starts with the farm. Their farms are peaceful places where pride for the farm life spans generations. At Diamond W Dairy, brothers Ron and Ken Wilson along with their wives Kathy and Clairette, do things the old fashioned way. The land has been in their family since the 1920s. With 13 farm hands and family members, Diamond W has 1,750 acres of prime grazing land that nurtures their award-winning Holsteins. The cows aren’t the only award winners, though. Diamond W has also been awarded Sonoma County Dairy of the Year. With a farm like this, how could you not create delicious, creamy yogurt, kefir and sour cream that people – especially lactose intolerant people – will enjoy wholeheartedly?*

We drink a lot of kefir since it is naturally 99.9% lactose free and we have some lactose food sensitivities in the family. Since we already LOVE kefir I introduced both new kefirs first to my kids. The Green Vally Organic kefir was gone before I could even take a picture despite the fact that it was not flavored! My kids drank it mixed with a little homemade strawberry syrup and the rest vanished in a morning smoothie...

I wasn't sure if the goat milk kefir was similar in taste to regular kefir so I made a Orange Mango Pineapple Smoothie with the Mango Orange Pineapple goat milk kefir, frozen mango, coconut milk, and orange juice and it was amazing! Plus, my kids simply grabbed the bottle of the counter and poured some kefir while waiting for the smoothie to finish and I got 4 pairs of thumbs up. We enjoyed this kefir immensely as a smoothie and just plain as well. It does not have a strong taste so if you want to switch to goat milk kefir you do not have to fear that it would taste any different then regular kefir (just simply better!).

The other big hit in our house was the sour cream from Green Vally Organics. We love sour cream for cooking and as toppings for soups and stews. Green Valley Organics Sour Cream is lactose free (hooray!) and the quality is beyond anything we have tried before. It looked like very high quality greek yogurt and the taste and texture was superior to any of our regular favorites. And we are not alone! Green Valley Organics Lactose Free Sour Cream was recently named a Winner in CLEAN EATING Magazine's 3rd Annual "Clean Choice Awards."

Did I mention that I LOVE cheese? Especially goat cheese? I love the strong and intense flavor and the creaminess. We enjoyed both the Redwood Hill Farm with simply fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey. With a glass of red wine the perfect ending to a busy summer day!

... frozen it was a huge success! And who can resist when the yogurt smiles back?

And we are not the only ones loving these products! Redwood Hill Farm and Green Valley Organics yogurts are both featured as winners in REAL SIMPLE Magazine's "road test: yogurt" in the May 2014 issue :)